Imagine a life without freedom of religion. Imagine a country without Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, and the rest of the western states obtained from the Louisiana Purchase. Without Thomas Jefferson, it is very hard to imagine where our nation would be today. As the creator of the Declaration of Independence, and author of many other early writings that shaped our nation, Thomas Jefferson is responsible for a great amount of rights and properties we are privileged to be a part of today.
Jefferson was a man of education that spent a great majority of his time learning to read Greek, Latin, and play the violin as a child rather than engage in activities of the average young boy. Soon Jefferson was a young man and began to revolve his life around college becoming much more interested in his studies than politics. While attending The College of William, Jefferson became friends with many professors and began his study of law under George Wythe as a result.
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United States Declaration of IndependenceEven though law turned out to be a minor part or Jefferson?s career, he completed his course of study with Wythe and was admitted to the state bar, which licensed him to practice law. Jefferson practiced law until the American Revolution when revolutionary ferment virtually closed the courts in Virginia; he gladly gave up law for politics (Patterson 27). Jefferson began his political career with many influential drafts that helped build his reputation. The Summary View of the Rights of British Columbia was one of Jefferson?s first important drafts that proposed and developed a set of instructions for Virginia Delegates. The instructions explained and expressed the complaints of the American Colonists against the British Parliament and King. The draft was rejected, but established Jefferson?s reputation as an author early on and caused him to...